Kaiser Wilhelm II was an avid sailor. He had a special place in his heart for his Navy AND his personal yachts. Today we are offering a very rare dinner plate from his racing sloop, the S. M. Y. Iduna. He raced it with the Kaiserlicher Yacht Club (KYC). The latter had its origins in a yacht club originally founded in 1887 for Kiel’s naval officers. It was known as the Marine-Regatta-Verein, and its original patron was Prinz Heinrich of Prussia, Wilhelm II’s younger brother. Heinrich was a serving officer in the Kaiserliche Marine and a yachting enthusiast. [He later rose to the rank of Großadmiral and commanded the German naval forces based in Kiel against the Russians].
In 1891, the club was opened to civilians as well as naval officers. Industrialist and arms manufacturer Alfred Krupp, along with other well-known Germans, joined the group. They asked Kaiser Wilhelm II to become the patron and renamed it the Kaiserlicher Yacht Club. [Naval officers revived the Marine-Regatta-Verein in 1928, and it continued to exist into WW II. It was disbanded by the Allies after the war, then re-founded in 1972 as the Marine-Regatta-Verein im Deutschen Marinebund e.V., and continues to this day].
Today we are offering a fantastic dinner plate that was part of the Kaiser’s personal table service when aboard the S. M. Y. Iduna. [PLEASE NOTE: Wilhelm II’s wife, Kaiserin Augusta Viktoria, had her own tableware for the S. M. Y. Iduna. We are fortunate enough to hold a singe example of it. Also, Johannes von Karpf served as commander of both the S. M. Y. Iduna and the S. M. Y. Hohenzollern. He rose to the rank of Admiral in the Kaiserliche Marine]. This magnificent plate measures 7″ in diameter. It has two different styles of gold trim bands around its edges. Its centerpiece is an Order of the Black Eagle Kette, whose center features the motto “Suum Cuique.” The latter also appeared on the headdresses of Gardekorps Garde units, including Infanterie, Kavallerie, Artillerie, etc. The Kaiserlicher Yacht Club’s burgee (pennant) appears at the plate’s top. Below the burgee the K. Y. C.’s initials appear in gold above a blue bandeau displaying the name “Iduna” in gold.
The plate’s reverse displays KPM of Berlin’s proper hallmarks. This notable firm, which still exists today, was the House of Hohenzollern’s official purveyor for all its royalty. For some reason there is no date from when the plate was manufactured. That said, it is identical in every way to the other S. M. Y. Iduna plates.
The plate comes from what may be the rarest tableware setting that Kaiser Wilhelm II owned. His naval tableware is much rarer than that featured at his various palaces, primarily because the ships’ smaller dining rooms accommodated far fewer guests. Since it was a racing sloop, the S. M. Y. Iduna was by far the smallest of all the Kaiser’s vessels, rendering any surviving examples of its tableware quite rare. The inclusion of the Kaiserlicher Yacht Club’s burgee makes this a very desirable piece. It is a pleasure to be able to share it with you today.

Description

Kaiser Wilhelm II was an avid sailor. He had a special place in his heart for his Navy AND his personal yachts. Today we are offering a very rare dinner plate from his racing sloop, the S. M. Y. Iduna. He raced it with the Kaiserlicher Yacht Club (KYC). The latter had its origins in a yacht club originally founded in 1887 for Kiel’s naval officers. It was known as the Marine-Regatta-Verein, and its original patron was Prinz Heinrich of Prussia, Wilhelm II’s younger brother. Heinrich was a serving officer in the Kaiserliche Marine and a yachting enthusiast. [He later rose to the rank of Großadmiral and commanded the German naval forces based in Kiel against the Russians].
In 1891, the club was opened to civilians as well as naval officers. Industrialist and arms manufacturer Alfred Krupp, along with other well-known Germans, joined the group. They asked Kaiser Wilhelm II to become the patron and renamed it the Kaiserlicher Yacht Club. [Naval officers revived the Marine-Regatta-Verein in 1928, and it continued to exist into WW II. It was disbanded by the Allies after the war, then re-founded in 1972 as the Marine-Regatta-Verein im Deutschen Marinebund e.V., and continues to this day].
Today we are offering a fantastic dinner plate that was part of the Kaiser’s personal table service when aboard the S. M. Y. Iduna. [PLEASE NOTE: Wilhelm II’s wife, Kaiserin Augusta Viktoria, had her own tableware for the S. M. Y. Iduna. We are fortunate enough to hold a singe example of it. Also, Johannes von Karpf served as commander of both the S. M. Y. Iduna and the S. M. Y. Hohenzollern. He rose to the rank of Admiral in the Kaiserliche Marine]. This magnificent plate measures 7″ in diameter. It has two different styles of gold trim bands around its edges. Its centerpiece is an Order of the Black Eagle Kette, whose center features the motto “Suum Cuique.” The latter also appeared on the headdresses of Gardekorps Garde units, including Infanterie, Kavallerie, Artillerie, etc. The Kaiserlicher Yacht Club’s burgee (pennant) appears at the plate’s top. Below the burgee the K. Y. C.’s initials appear in gold above a blue bandeau displaying the name “Iduna” in gold.
The plate’s reverse displays KPM of Berlin’s proper hallmarks. This notable firm, which still exists today, was the House of Hohenzollern’s official purveyor for all its royalty. For some reason there is no date from when the plate was manufactured. That said, it is identical in every way to the other S. M. Y. Iduna plates.
The plate comes from what may be the rarest tableware setting that Kaiser Wilhelm II owned. His naval tableware is much rarer than that featured at his various palaces, primarily because the ships’ smaller dining rooms accommodated far fewer guests. Since it was a racing sloop, the S. M. Y. Iduna was by far the smallest of all the Kaiser’s vessels, rendering any surviving examples of its tableware quite rare. The inclusion of the Kaiserlicher Yacht Club’s burgee makes this a very desirable piece. It is a pleasure to be able to share it with you today.

Related products

Today, we are offering you one of the most interesting items ever owned by Kaiser Wilhelm II and offered to you here on Der Rittmeister Militaria. It is no secret that two of our favorite merchandise categories are items once owned by royals and those related to the Navy. Our offering today combines both types with an item attributed to Kaiser Wilhelm II and his royal yacht, the S. M. Y. Hohenzollern. This truly magnificent wine carafe was used daily aboard the S. M. Y. Hohenzollern to set a fine table for the Kaiser and his guests.
Kaiser Wilhelm II had strong feelings about the sea and its possibilities for Germany. He firmly supported expanding the Kaiserliche Marine under Secretary of the Imperial Navy Alfred von Tirpitz. As one of Queen Victoria of England’s grandsons, Wilhelm was exceedingly jealous of his British cousins. He was determined that Germany should have a Navy equal to Great Britain’s, as well as overseas colonies to produce wealth for Germany’s Empire as they did for Britain’s.
Kaiser Wilhelm II also greatly enjoyed his luxurious royal lifestyle on land AND sea. His royal yacht and aviso (royal dispatch boat) was the S. M. Y. Hohenzollern. While onboard, he enjoyed every amenity that was available at his numerous German castles. He had special dishes and glassware created solely for use onboard the Hohenzollern that were just as fine as that at any of his castles. [Recently we offered and quickly sold one of the Hohenzollern’s salad cruets].
The best-known S. M. Y. Hohenzollern was the second to bear that name. It was placed in service in 1893, then used extensively until mid-1914. A third S. M. Y. Hohenzollern was under construction when war broke out in July 1914. WW I not only halted progress on the third yacht, but also ended Wilhelm’s use of the second. [In the nineteen years the second Hohenzollern was in service, Wilhelm spent the equivalent of FOUR full years on board]!
The Hohenzollern’s carafe is a glass flagon that is rounded at the bottom. It holds a total of 28 U.S. ounces (.83 liters). Its diameter at the top is 2 ½” and 3″ in diameter at the base. The flagon’s bottom features a sunburst design. The title S. M. Y. Hohenzollern is etched into its glass side toward the base. The presentation’s true stars are featured at the carafe’s top and its handle, which are both rendered in .800 silver! The graceful handle flows down smoothly to the flagon’s mid line. It attaches to the top, where a close look reveals Kaiser Wilhelm II’s crowned royal cypher attached to the flip-up. A wreath encircles the cypher, then is joined at the top with the Hohenzollern Crown. The distinctively elegant presentation simply reeks of Imperial German noblesse oblige. The lid’s underside reveals the hallmarks “37230,” a mark I cannot identify, and the royal silver fineness hallmarks: a half moon, a crown, and .800.
We are proud to offer such an exquisite carafe with its echoes of an epoch of Imperial grace and refinement.

CIGARETTE CASE – commemorating Weihnachten (Christmas) 1916

SKU: 03-37

$395.00

CIGARETTE CASE – commemorating Weihnachten (Christmas) 1916

This is a very attractive cigarette case commemorating Weihnachten (Christmas) 1916. This information is displayed on the outside lid along with “Hohenlohe,” which is a place. There is also an enamel badge in the lower right corner that has what appears to be initials and a “2”. This may be for a military unit. The enamel is three different colors. The case is marked for Alpaca Silver on the catch to open the case. The case measures 3 ½” x 3.” There are no elastic keepers in the interior. A very handsome and high-quality cigarette case.

TELESCOPE GIVEN AS GIFT BY KAISER WILHELM II

SKU: 20-134

$5,995.00

This is a fascinating, naval-style telescope. It probably was a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm to an admirer. It measures 13 3/4″ unextended and 21 1/4″ extended. It is leather-wrapped. I do not see a silver content on the exposed metal surfaces that are not leather wrapped. An interesting peg arrangement uncovers the eye piece and protects it from exposure or damage when the telescope is not in use. Also up near the eyepiece is a staggered trim that looks like four coiled ropes, further advancing the telescope’s naval motif. As previously mentioned, the leather wrapping provided a better grip of the telescope when in use. On the barrel’s exposed metal is a wonderful, jeweler-engraved cypher of Wilhelm II, along with a Hohenzollern Crown. This cypher is quite large, measuring 2 3/4″ x 1.” Also, on the barrel is an indication the telescope was made in France. It is entirely possible it was purchased from German sources on one of the S. M. Y. Hohenzollern’s voyages, when she was away from her home port. At the front of the telescope is an interesting swing-away lens cover. An item like this shows the wide range of items given by the Kaiser to admirers, German and foreign dignitaries, and supporters. It is splendidly made. [Its one current defect is that the lens are cloudy, making it impossible to see through it (only light shows). The new owner may disassemble the piece to clean the lens if he or she so desires]. It would make a fine addition to any royalty or naval collection.

About Us

I'm Kenneth (Ken) J. Greenfield, currently of New Port Richey, Florida, located on the West Coast of Florida in the Tampa Bay area. I started out as a collector of Imperial German Militaria, particularly items dealing with the Imperial German Air Service in the early 1960's. After more than forty years of avid collecting, I began to sell a few items to upgrade my collection and help finance my collecting "habit." I attended militaria shows, both to buy and sell. I wanted to spend more time at home and less traveling for the national companies that I had worked for; so, starting my own business seemed like an attractive alternative. I like nothing better than talking with others about militaria, and introducing newcomers to the joys of owning a "piece of history."